The Wateree messenger. (Camden, S.C.) 1884-1942, December 07, 1932, Image 6
OLD WOMEN VICTIMS
OF MEANEST SLAYER
? .1. I ? I ? . . ? ? A - ? ? ? ? ? ' v
Spreads Terror Through the
Weit Side of Manhattan.
. > .
New York>nN6w York's "meanest
murderer" It: spreading terror through
the West tide of Manhattan, while
some 10,000 policemen and detectives
glorifying In the tity of ,4the finest"
wrack their brains and exhaust their
energies In a vain search for him.
The "meanest murderer" specialises
in the killing of helpless old women
living alone. .pounces upon them, !
generally when they are asleep, and
smothers or strangles them to death
without giving them a chance to make ,
an outcry. Four of them have gone
to their .rewards at his cowardly hands
In this fashion iu the last few weeks,
all within a radius of a dozen blocks
or so, and so stealthily has the slayer
gone about his work and so skillfully
has he covered up his tracks that the
police are yet without the slightest
clew to his identity, or whereabouts.
Indeed some of the best detectives of
the force have suggested In view of
the character of the crimes and in lieu
of any definite evidence that the killer
might be a woman.
Motive Uncertain.
Moreover the "best minds" of the
department have so far been unable
to determine for a certainty just what
motive may actuate the strange kill
ings. In some cases, evidence has
been found to warrant a theory of rob
bery, but since none of the victims en
Joyed a station in life which might b^
dignified even by the title of "well to '
do*' and since In at least two In- j
stances, the victims' hoards of a few
coins were left untouched, the sugges
tion seems somehow ' lacking.
Some investigators express the opin
ion that the fugitive Is a maniac, but
Just why he should limit his opera
tions to elderly women no one can
guess.
Whether one or many, however, the
"meanest murderer" still stalks his
way unmolested ? unless his fate has
overtaken him unknown to the police
? while old women quake in terror
and refuse to be left alone.
The latest victim of the series was
Mrs. Mary Day, seventy years old,
who was found smothered In bed In
her little flat on the Becond floor of
a building iu West Fifty-third street
A small bottle of milk and a copy
of the Irish World still untouched in
front of her door brought about the
discovery of the murder.
Sometime between 7 and 9 a. m.,
according to the police and Dr. Charles
Norris, chief medical exam'.ner, some
one came Into the three room flat,
threw a shawl and a blanket over the
head of the victim, held it tight until
she ceased to struggle, and then tied
her frail arms behind her with ban
dages Mrs. Day had received recently
from a hospital.
Whether it was a man or woman or
more than one person the twenty de
tectives reporting at the scene were
unable to say. Mrs. Day was so frail
It was believed that even n woman
might have killed her without arous
ing the neighbors.
Neighbor Flnda Body.
For five years Mrs. Day had lived
alone in the tenement house, supported
apparently by a savings account in
the New York Savings bank, of which
there Is still $8,254 left. She had no
known relatives, and during the years
she lived In the building Mrs. Day al
ways left her door open during the
day, a sign that neighbors were wel
come.
The copy of the Irish World and the
CAMERA STOPS WATER
Water from the faucet stopped to '
pose for Its portrait when this tin
usual photograph was made nt nn ex
posure Of 1 50,000 ,?f b second. The
constantly changing pattern of flow
ing Water, which ordinarily appears
to the eye at a blurred vision, Is now
revealed In strange forms not unlike
Icicles or molten glass. The photo
Krnph was made by means of a new
electrical circuit developed at the
Massachusetts institute of Technology
by Prof. Harold L. TCdg^rt(>n and Ken<
n?th J, Oermeshauser
i(' ' : ' i" ? ' . ? '
hifAv^StL',Li*si^ M 5.-4 ? ? '
?; ? ? f ' . s
bottle of milk drew the attention of
Julia Benedettl shortly after 1
p. She had not seen' the aged, wom
an since the * morning before. Mrs.
Benedettl (old Bernard Murray, fon
of die janltress and be found the body
and notified the police.
Nothing had been disturbed when
the police arrived. The body lay on
a bed In the room which acted as her
living room and kitchen. Only an
open bureau drawer showed that rob
bery might have been the motive. A
pocketbook . containing a little more
than $5 was on the floor beside her
bed. While the police were mystified
as to the cause 9f the murder they ad
mitted that Mrs. Day had withdrawn
a sum of money from her savings ac
count some time ago and that possibly
the slayer or members of the same
gang responsible for the death of the
three other aged women, might have
followed her from the bank and
learned where she kept the money at
home. 11
Bach of the other murders has tak
en place In much the same manner
and In the same neighborhood, and
each victim was an elderly woman liv
ing alone.
Muskrats Fail Indian
Prophet on Bad Winter
Lac du Flambeau, Wis. ? Old Sarin
esco, venerable brave on the Flam
beau reservation, retains his prestige
as a weather prognostlcator despite
his miscalculations of last year.
One of the surest signs of a hard
Army Prefer* Bacon
to Salt Pork Slab*
Washington. ? The army has just
moved to benefit both the soldier's
palate and the farmer's pocketbook
by decreeing for Its troops the kind
of- bacon that curls and crisps In- J
stead of the familiar slabs of salt
pp*k. :: I
Regulations provide that the ra
tion for each soldier must Include
six ounces of bacon. For years a
part of the dally fare has be$n dry
salt pork, generally cooked with Its
equally well-known comrade-at
arms, beans.
Recent revision of the regula
tions permits substitution of sugar- I
cured bacon, and the quartermas
ter corps Is- laying In a large sup
ply. Troops stationed abroad will
continue to get salt pork, however,
as It Is particularly adapted for
shipment Into warm climates.
winter, Sarlnesco says, can be found
In the autumnal activities of the
muskrats.
Last year he based his prediction
of a cold winter with much snow on
the size of the muskrat houses.
"Bad winter coming," he Bald.
"MuBkrat houses big, heap big, this
year. Sure sign of bad winter. Rats
know when cold winter coming and
build big houses."
There are other signs, however, that
i enter Into Sarlnesco's calculations.
Moss on north side of trees very
thick," he said last year. "That's a
sure sign. Husk on malte very thick,
too. And hair on ponies very thick.
We have big winter with lots of snow."
Sarlnesco's "weather signs" failed
him in this region last year, for the
winter was unusually mild.
Maine's Tribute to Howard Un veiled
This heroic bronze equestrian statue of Maj. Gen. Oliver 0. Howard,
U. S. A., by Robert Altken, N. A., Sybb unveiled on the Battlefield of Gettys
burg recently. It was erected by the state of Maine In honor of her valiant son.
Deaf-Blind Persons Are
Most Neglected of All
"V
Survey Finds 887 So Afflicted
in United States.
New York. ? Five years' rea search
has located 887 persona In the Unit
ed States, and 57 In Canada, who are
both deaf and blind, It Is disclosed
In a report to the American Braille
PresB here.
The report summarizes the findings
and conclusions of an exhaustive sur
vey of deaf-blindness conducted by
Mrs. Corrlnne Rocheleau Rouleau, of
Washington, D. 0., and Miss Rebecca
Mack, of Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Rou
leau, author of the report, has been
deaf since childhood, but has perfect
Bight; Miss Mack has been partially
blind since childhood, but hns per
fect hearing.
"As a class, the deaf-blind In our
midst are not only the most heavily
handlcnpped and the most lonely of
all human beings, but also, as a class,
the most neglected," declares Mrs.
Rouleau, "We even know of deaf
blind children who have been placed
In asylums for the feeble minded with
out proper trial ? the so-called Intel
ligence teats being quite worthless In
evaluating their potentialities.
"How often have we learned of
deaf-blind children or adolescents be
ing refused entrnnce In schools for
the deaf because they ore blind, or
In schools for the blind because they
are deaf; or because schools have no
trained teachers available; or because
they fear that, such pupils will provb
too difficult, expensive and burden
some.
"We have the names and addresses
of fM4 deaf-hllnd persons living In
the United States and Canada, nnd
much assorted Information about
them.
"Of our cases, most are white per
sons, although a number of negroes
also figure, nnd pne Indian ; there nre
men, women and children of all ages.
Many of them are maimed as well as
deaf and blind. A small handful are
war veterans. In addition to braille,
the deaf-blind have various other
methods of communication, such as
the sign language, the Morse code,
etc. In most of our listed cases, the
persons htfve retained or acquired the
faculty of speech, of the spoken
word."
Rome efforts to register, educate,
nnd care for the deaf-blind are now
being made In London, Paris, Ber
lin, and Montreal, according to Mrs.
Rouleau, who adds: "We hope that
all these things and more will be
done for our Amerlcnn cases through
the well-directed efforts of a central
committee for the deaf-blind."
| Such a Joint committee was started
last year, with Mrs. Rouleau ns chair
man, by the Volta bureau, the Ameri
can Federation of Associations for
the Hard of Hearing, and the Ameri
can Foundation for the Blind.
Harvard Has Monopoly
on the Word "Detur"
Boston. ? Award of fifi deturs to Har
vard students, the Inrgcst number
since this practice wits Inaugurated
here 220 yenrs ago. wns Announced by
the university. v
The word "detur" Is defined In the
New Standard Dictionary as "a book,
or set of bqoks, given ns a prlr.e to/
each meritorious undergraduate stu
dent In Harvard university; frorrt the
Latin word 'detur' (Let It be given)
on tho presentation bookplate." As
far ns Is known, tho word never has
been adopted at any other university.
Deturs date bhcb to the death of
Kdward Hopkins, a Seventeenth cen
tury t/>ndon merchant, who left a fund
"to give some encouragement In thoso
foreign plantations for the breeding
np of hopeful youths."
is Week
h Arthur Brisbane
Flying Becomes Real
Mixture at Topock
Doctor to Governor
How Europe Love* U?
San Simeon, Calif.? Flying increase!
out here, where distances are long.
Those in a hurry, or convinced that
they are in a hurry, must fly.
The other day, just after be beat
the transcontinental record, Roscoe
Turner, flying by here on the way from
Los Angeles to San Francisco, some
thing over three hundred miles by air,
wired to his friend, Ben Lyon, visiting
hore:
"I'll be flyiDg past you pretty soon.
Look up if you want to see a good
machine."
He had flown by before the wire
arrived and Ben Lyon missed him. A
radio station at the ranch keeps track
of the planes in flight, and sends any
weather warning.
The trip from Los Angeles to San
Francisco, thirteen hours by train,
Turner made in less than an hour and
a half. That means severe competi
tion, for railroads, later.
Regular commercial planes, crowded
every day, take passengers from coast
to coaat In thirty-two hours. Turner
did It In a little over twelve hours.
Five hours will be the commercial fly
ing time later on. But don't wait for
that to make the trip, by air, rail,
motor or Bhip via the canal.
At Topock, Ariz., where the railroad
and automobile bridges cross the Colo
rado river, modern ways and wild na
ture are mixed. A (lock of gasoline
stations lie in wait for touring cars.
Men with guns He in wait for wild
ducks and geese, "Canadian honkers."
They are plentiful here. And here
the Colorado river, unconscious of
all changes, continues to roll as it
chooses.
To the east you see green trees and
grass growing where the river bed
once was. The Santa Fe railroad has
been three times compelled to move
its tracks southward, at the river's
command. Part of the old track bed
still stands at the river's edge, and re
cently the Colorado, lazily avoiding a
sand bar of its own construction, has
eaten the land away within a few feet
of the paved highway.
But soon Hoover dam wall will hold
back these turbulent waters and the
big river, like the rest of us, coerced
by civilization, will behave.
Nearly to the north is the Grand
canyon, most remarkable gorge on
earth, cut a mile deep by the Colo
rado river.
You should seo that and the won
ders to the west of it, and all this
great nation between the two oceans.
Coming out here Is so easy.
Dr. B. B. Moeur never expected to
bo governor of Arizona. A country
doctor, his specialty was bringing ba
bies Into the world. Mother and baby
always lived and "did well."
He says: "I never owned a dress
suit; Just wear one kind of clothes.
They are good enough to go anywhere.
Never asked anyone to vote for me;
never had to deny anything ; never
had to look over my shoulder while I
talked."
"Seest thou a man diligent in his
business, he shall stand before kings."
Doctor Moeur is diligent. Spent his
youth on the Texas range. When he
has a patient very ill he says to as
sembled relatives: "Get down on your
knees and pray. I have done all I
can."
Also, In 1017, when young men from
Tempe, his home town, went to war,
Doctor Moeur sent each one a letter
saying any bills they owed were can
celed and he would look after their'
families without charge while they
were away.
In Tla Juana, Mexico, across the
California border, many drinking sa
loons, including one bar, longest In the
world, have reduced beer to r> cents a
big glass as a tribute' to depression in
the United States. Mexico has no real
depression, for every Mexican knows
how to work on the land, and Mexi
cans can live on what they produce
from the soli ? corn and beans ? plus
sunshine, air, water.
Parliamentary circles In Belgium
calls America's refusal to continue
postponing or cancel the debt "a colos
sal monument to egotism."
Do you remember when Americans
were sending millions to be spent In
Belgium for charity, while Mr. Hoover
fed the Bolglan children so generously
that Indigestion became n national
complaint, and American mothers were
urged by clergymen and other good
Americans not to give too much sugar,
oatmeal, meat or anything else to their
own children.
Belgium <lld not call that, "mono
mental egotism." Home Belgians and
other Kuropeans even strained a point
and said thank yon.
California grape growers will sell
wine, when law makes It legal, at $1.40
per gallon. 35 cents a full qunrt. That
Is n low price for sour wine, althoiyjh
It has been much lower. In Italy It
has been sold for ft cents n quart and
fed to horse mixed with their oats
Red wine, mixed with water, Its alco
holic content reduced to 2 per cent or
less, 1 per cent for children. Is an ex
cellent family drink* It discourage*
typhoid and other disease affectlrig
the Intestinal tract, fortifies the hlood
O, 111), by Kin* r?fttur*B Ryndtoat*, in*.
WNU R?rvlca
New Silhouettes in Style Parade
By CHERIE NICHOLAS
IT IS Interesting,
*? even amusing, to
note with what
sleight of hand
Dame Fashion molds
us to her liking. One
season she makes
dappers of us all
with skirts amazing.
ly brief, waistlines u negative qunn
ilty, sleeves conspicuous by their ab
sence, the picture topped with q "boy
ish bob" the very essence of youth,
and then ! ? the mood of this caprici
ous creature changes. Behold! The
fair sex in the style parade, particu
larly when it copies to formal dress
for winter 1932, transformed Into be
ings of imposing dignity, tall, stately,
"real ladies," If you please.
So It Is, In the season as now is,
we find ourselves bowing to the man
dates of fickle fashion who Insists
that the skirts of our evening gowns
be lengthened even unto touching the
lloor, that our shoulders be broadened
through various devices even at the
risk of appearing top-heavy, and that
waistlines become normal with bust
line raised (the new corsets and
foundation garments are designed to
do just that). Thus the transforma
tion goes on until due to the long
skirts nnd high waists we find our
selves looking as If inches nnd Inches
hnd been added to our stature.
When we come to analyze the situ
ation, we sense that many of our cur
rent fashions are directly traceable
to various period influences. We are,
for instance, frequently reminded of
the qunint Victorian age, likewise the
early 90's. which Indulged in ill sorts
of feminine- fads and fancies.
The quaint little shoulder capes of
the long ago are the Inspiration for
the prettily shirred wrap which the
lady to the left in the picture is
wearing. As adorably feminine as in
the 1890's Is this cunning cape which
happens in this Instance to he styled
of ruby red velvet. The skirt goes
floor-length, widening at the hemline
nnd taking on rows of wee ruffles Just
as skirts used to do in the long, long
ago.
However, the a hove described is
only one phase of the questlou, for
fashion Is making a versatile play
upon "lines" gathered from many n
past era. The gown centered in this
group Is typical of this movement to
ward what is known as the dlrectolre
period throughout fhe story of fash
Ions as told In days of yore. It is of
green crepe. Its little bolerolike
Jacket Is tied so as to nccent the new
high bustllne which so many design
ers are featuring In their newest
creations.
Then again fashion's followers are
called upon to consider the silhouette
as It appears on the present-day style
program from an entirely different
viewpoint. We refer to the new, very
new, long-wnlsted effects which go
way back to medieval times for their
Inspiration. More tlmn one noted de
signer Is working along these lines,
with the result that some of the most
successful gowns brought out this rea
son have long body-fitting waists
which Join their skirts low on the
hips. The handsome velvet hostess
gown pictured to the right suggests
this type, although In a purely 'mod
ernized way.
?. 1932. Weatorn Ncwjipnper Union.
ACCESSORIES ARE
HIGHLY IMPORTANT
"There is Just one rule for fashion
this yenr and thnt Is 'buy fewer
things, but the best qunllty your
money can buy.' "
Asked for the season's ten com
mandments by which the well-dressed
woman must abide, Miss Helen Cor
nelius, associate editor of Harper's
Bazar, made It emphatic that the
above, single commandment held for
every woman, be her Income what It
may.
-According to Miss Cornelius, this
year of grace will see the buying ten
dency one of getting the best for
your money ? qunllty will be spelt In
capitals.
Sending a message to the young
women whose salaries are small, tin;
stylist begs thnt one heed the Impor
tance and elasticity of accessories.
She suggests thnt the wnrdrobe fund
be well-nigh exhausted In a few tai
lored gowns and the surplus he In
vested In new nil-Important eollnr nnd
cuff ensembles.
Nap Fabrics Are Seen
Everywhere This Year
Velvet Is everywhere this yenr.
Paris Is going In henvlly for nil sorts
of nap fabrics.
There are crepe velvets of vnrled
thicknesses? soipe soft and pllnble ns
chlfTon, some heavy nnd thick ns wool
ens. There are fur velvets ? those
which look like ermine, like caracul,
like breltschwnntz.
There are soft silk velvets made
Into gowns whoso skirts fall In soft
voluminous folds, nnd henvy cotton
bnck velvet dresses with full flaring
skirts whose hynis cover spacer each
a yard and a hnlf In diameter.
Velvet Is used only for dresses and
coats, for evening wraps and cowni,
but for daytime suits, for pnjamns, for
lounging rohei nnd negligees, for cock
tall suits, for gloves and shoes, for
bats ? In fact, for practically every
thing modern women wenr.
Valval Plelura Hal
Tho wide brimmed picture bat of
black velvet Is the nest thing that
fins (om? along for many a dny. If
too are the type to wenr any big hat
?l All.
NEW AND NOVEL
Bjr CIIKRIK NICHOLAS
Now that cunning little capes nnd
Jackets are made such an oiitstnndlng
feature In the formiil evening mode,
designers are devising nil sorts of
clever and unusunl accessories along
this line. The holero-and muff set here
sketched Is fashioned r> f sheer white
material arranged In tier upon tier of
tiny ruffles. The hlnck velvet dresn
which It tops Is fiisldoned along youth
fill lines us Is nlso the t>l:i ck evening
toque which completes the ensemble, a
most perfect costume Is this Cor the
debutante who may he attending the
wedding of a sorority sister. The lit
tie ermine cape is tied at the front
In cravat ? manner. It Is worn with ?
dress fashioned of corduroy stripe
brown velvet. It Is a Vera Mures crtv
af.lon.
fluid V#lv?t
A chic little trlcorne of plalf velvet
with sn ascot scarf to mutch Is on?
of the newest offerings of fashion.
The two are charming to weiir with
your fur coat to give n hit of cotoi
to an otherwise one-color costume.